Casting machines



Aug. 6, 1963 E. J. PONTING CASTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Av1/fm TOR EAP/c @ONT/NG Aug. 6, 1963 E. J. PoNTlNG 3,099,867

CASTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1961 5 Sheets-.'Sheefl 2 Aug. 6, 1963 E. .1. PoNTlNG 3,099,867

CASTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1961 5 sheets-sheet s Aug. 6, 1963 E. J. PoNTlNG 3,099,867

CASTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1961 l 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 idw/f@ Aug. 6, 1963 E. J. PoNTlNG 3,099,867

CASTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 3,099,867 CASTING MACHINES Eric James Ponting, Sutton Coldeld, England, assigner to Ingot Casting Machines Limited, Birmingham, Engand Filed Aug. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 129,464 Claims priority, application Great Britain Aug. 6, 1960 9 Claims. (Cl. 22-76) This invention has reference to casting machines of the kind wherein moulds are carried in parallel relationship by and along the length of an endless conveyor comprising an upper span, and means are provided for pouring molten metal into each of the said moulds in succession as they are traversed along the said upper span.

Heretofore, in machines of this kind, the moulds have been carried by and between two endless, power-driven chains of the conveyor, the said chains have been housed within a casing in the top of which an opening has been formed, and the upper span of the conveyor has been so arranged that, when the conveyor is being driven, the moulds are caused to pass in succession below the opening as they are traversed along the said span so that the molten metal may be poured into each mould through the opening.

The principal object of the present invention is to minimise the possibility of a casting machine of the kind referred to, being temporarily rendered inoperative as a consequence of molten metal splashing or spilling from any of the moulds onto one or more of the moving parts of the machine, and subesquently solidifying on the said part or parts.

Further objects of the invention are to facilitate the initial erection and subsequent maintenance of a casting machine, and to provide a casting machine which is of economical, eicient and robust construction and has a long useful life.

In accordance with the said invention, each of the moulds of a casting machine of the kind referred to, is located externally of a casing and is mounted upon one end of a corresponding cantilever arm of which the opposite end is attached to a power-driven endless conveyor accommodated internally of the casing.

Preferably the casing comprises a sheet-clad skeleton framework which is constructed from beams and which comprises a base `frame, a rear wall frame located along and perpendicular to one longitudinal edge of the base frame, and a cantilever track-carrier projecting from the said wall frame in parallel and overhanging relationship to the base frame.

To expedite solidication of the molten metal as it is poured into the moulds, it is desirable to install a liquidcooling system in the machine. Whilst the cooling system may be of any desired construction, preferably each mould is formed with a hollow jacket which, together with the jackets of all the other moulds, is connected into a ilexible and endless manifold located parallel to and substantially co-extensively with the conveyor, means being provided for driving the manifold at the same speed as the said conveyor, and a exible liquid supply pipe connected into the said manifold is wound around a springloaded reel so that the connection between the pipe and manifold is free to travel along the length of the latter and the pipe is always taut.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and carried into practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURES l and 2 are, respectively, an elevation and a plan of an ingot casting machine;

FIGURE 3 is a section on a larger scale, along the line III-III, FIGURE 1 FIGURE 4 is an elevation, partly diagrammatic, showing an alternative mould-cooling system, and

j amasar Patented Aug. 6, 1963 FIGURE 5 -is a section, on a larger scale, along the line V-V, FIGURE 4.

The ingot casting machine shown in FIGURES l-3 comprises a number of moulds 1 each of which is fixed upon and lengthwise of one end of a corresponding one of an equal number of tubular arms 2 of rectangular cross section.

The arms project from the interior of a casing 4 through an endless slot 3 in the front wall 1a of the said casing, the moulds being iixed upon the outer ends of the arms whereas, internally of the casing, each of the said arms is carried about an endless conveyor arranged with one run disposed above the other. The arms are supported cantilever fashion by the respective engagement of two rollers 5, 6 in a trackway constituted by channel-section tracks 7, 7a and 8, 8a which are disposed with their flanges dening concentric runways between which the rollers are trapped.

The casing consists of a skeleton framework which is enclosed by metal sheets. The framework comprises a rectangular base frame constructed from longitudinal beams 9, 9a and transverse beams 9', 9a', a top frame including longitudinal beams 10, 10a and transverse beams lil', 10a', a rear wall frame including bea-ms 11, 11a and a track carrier consisting of beams 12, 12a. The beams 11, 11a of the wall frame project upwardly from and perpendicularly to the rear longitudinal beam 9 of the base frame, the two beams 11a at one end of the casing being longer than the beams l1, whereas the top frame beams 10, 10a, lil', lita are supported cantilever fashion by the wall beams 11, 11a to overlie the base frame and extend forwardly to the front casing wall 1a, and the beams of the track carrier are arranged in pairs, the beams 12, 12a of each pair being xed, cantilever fashion and one above the other, to a corresponding one of the wall beams l1 or 11a, being located between the base and top frames and in overhanging parallel relationship to the base frame, and extending 'forwardly to the front wall la of the casing.

The two channel-section tracks are identical and parallel to one another and each consists of two identical halves namely, an upper' half 7, S which is fixed upon the top of and at right angles to the upper carrier beams 12, and a lower half 7a, 8a which is fixed to the underside of and at right angles to the lower carrier beams 12a; each track half extends lengthwise, but terminates short of the opposite ends of the interior of the casing and consists of two contiguous portions of which one -is parallel to the base frame whereas the other is inclined to the said frame and extends towards the upper ends of the longer Wall frame beams 11a. The two tracks are arranged mouth to mouth with the bases of the track halves 7, 7a in abutment with the shorter beams 11 and one of the longer beams 11a, and the bases of the track halves 8, 8a in abutment with the lfront wall of the casing between the upper and lower spans of the endless slot 3.

Each of the cantilever arms is provided with two angle brackets 13, 13a -upon each of which a corresponding one of the rollers 5 and `6 respectively is journalled, the said brackets being so located lengthwise of the arm and the rollers being so journalled upon the said brackets that each roller 5 is adapted to engage and travel along the track 7, 7a and each roller 6 is adapted to engage and travel along the track S, 8a and, during such travel, the arms are guided along and between the edges of the slot 3.

Between the roller brackets 13, 13a, each shaft has two pairs of brackets 14, 14a fixed thereto; leach of the said brackets pairs embraces and is pinned to a corresponding one of two endless conveyor chains 15, 15a and each chain extends around and meshes with a corresponding one of ltwo sprockets 16, 16a which, respectively, are

3 lfast upon a corresponding one of two axles .17, 17a extending transversely of the casing. The axle 17a is the main driving axle, is located between the two longer beams 11a of the rear wall frame and is journalled in ybearing blocks 18, y18a fixed respectively upon lbeam 19 secured to and extending between the said beams 11a, and upon `an external gantry 20 located on the side of the moulds remote from the casing. One end Vof the main driving axle `17a extends into a ige-ar case 21 assembled to the outside of the rear Wall 1b of the casing 4, and a sprocket 22 housed within the gear case and fast upon the main driving axle, is meshed by an endless chain 23 'which also meshes with a sprocket 24 accommodated within the gear case and fast upon the output shaft 25 of the speed reduction gear uni-t l26 housed within the casing `4. Drive to the said gear unit is transmitted from -an electric motor 27, which is also housed within the casing 4, through sprockets 28, 29 and an endless chain 30 meshing with the said pinions. The axle 17 is jour- `ualled in bearing .blocks 31, 31a which are xed respectively upon -a gantry 32 Iwhich is housed within the casing '4 'and an external gantry 33 which, like the gantry 20, is located on the side of the moulds remote from the said casing; the blocks 31, 31a are Iadjustable lengthwise of the machine for the purpose of varying :the tension .in lthe conveyor chains 15, 15a.

A tunnel 34 is xed upon and lengthwise of the external surface of the casing 1a in such Aa position that the moulds 1 are propelled into land lthrough the said tunnel as they travel along the upper spans of the conveyor chains. The closed end of a perforated U-shaped pipe 35 mounted in and extending lengthwise of the upper part of the tunnel and above the path of travel of the moulds,

.is connected to any suitable supply of water (such as a Water main or a tank) and is iitted with spray jets (not shown) so that, as the moulds are propelled through the said tunnel they are sprayed with water and cooled; excess Water is drained from the tunnel through an outlet 36 into which a discharge pipe (not shown) yis connected so that-the said ex-cess water may be fed either to a drain (if the pipe 35 i-s connected to a Water main) or to a pump (if .the pipe 35' is connected lto a tank) adapted to return the water to :the tank. A flue 37 iixed upon the top and opening into the interior of the tunnel, contains an exhaust fan (not shown) for exhausting steam and fumes from the said interior.

When the motor 427 is running, drive is transmitted to the m-ain axle V17a through the chain 30, -speed reduction gear unit 26, and chain 23, with Ithe result that the sprockets 16a drive the conveyor chains 15, 15a and the chains propel the hollow arms 2 along the slot 3 at a uniform, predetermined speed, the said arms being guided by the engagement of their respective rollers and 6 inthe channel section tracks 7, 7a land 8, 8a. As the arms and moulds are propelled along the upper spans of the conveyor chains and slot, molten metal is poured into each of the said moulds by pouring means (not shown) located between the tunnel and the external gantry 33, the moulds and their molten content-s being cooled `as they enter and travel through the tunnel, by water sprayed from the pipe 35. Consequently, the metal is cooled to a temperature below its melting point in `a minimum time so that the length of the machine and the number of moulds are also reduced to 4a minimum, the said temperature being attained before each of the said moulds emerges rom the tunnel so that as eac-h arm 2 travels around the sprockets 416a on the main axle 17a, the ingot produced by the solidilied or 4frozen metal in the mould, may -be discharged'from the said mould. By inclining the channel section tracks 7, 7a and 8, 8a upwardly from the base frame 9, 9a, 10, 10a, the main axle is at a higher elevation than the axle 17 so that, as each ingot is discharged from its mould, it may fall into a chute 38 xed upon thev outside of the casing wall 1a,

and be delivered into any suitable receptacle such as the lreceptacle indicated at 69.

The cooling of the moulds and their molten metal contents by spraying water on to the said moulds whilst being propelled through the'tunnel, has the disadvantage that water is sprayed directly on to the said contents and the exterior of the moulds and may not be evaporated or drained from the moulds before the latter emerge from the tunnel. Therefore, to overcome this disadvantage, it Iis preferable to install in the machine the -alternative'cooling system shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 4 and in section in 'FIGURE 5.

-In this system, and as Ishown in FIGURE 5, each mould 1 is lformed with a ywater jacket 40* which extends around its walls and over its base. At the free end of the corresponding arm 2, one end of a iiexible inlet pipe 41 is connected into the jacket at the level of the jacket base, .the opposite end of the said pipe being connected to the arm of a tubular T-shaped fitting ot ywhich the head is connected into yan endless exible ring main pipe or manifold 42. At the end of each mould Iadjacent the casing 4, one end of a discharge pipe 43 is connected into the jacket adjacent the rimof the mould; the saiddischarge pipe extends into the interior of the corresponding arm and then along the said arm away from the mould, its opposite end being connected to an exhaust port formed in the -arm |wall between a pair of external anges 44 provided on the arm. When the moulds and arms are travelling along the upper spans of the conveyor chains, the anges y44 depend into the mouth 45 of the upper of two superimposed ducts '46, 46a installed within and longitudinally of the casing l4 below the level of and parallel to, the Vupper 'and lower spans respectively ofthe said conveyor chains: on the other hand, when the arms and moulds are being propelled `along the lower spans of the conveyor chains, the said anges depend into the mouth 45a of the duct 46a. Discharge pipes 47, 47a extend respectively from the ducts 46, 46a and either reach to a drain or are connected into ya water circulating system containing a heat-exchanger, pump, tank and the manifold 42.

All the flexible inlet pipes 41 reach into the interior of a housing v48 (not shown in FIGURE4) which is parallel to the casing 4 and is located on the opposite side of the moulds to the said casing and in which the endless .manifold is accommodated. The manifold is substantially co-extensive Iwith the conveyor chains and angle brackets 49 are anchored to and at equi-distant intervals apart, along the length of the said manifold. Each bracket 49 is provided with a roller 50 which engages and is adapted lto travel along an endless `channelsection guide track 51 mounted upon the internal surface of the housing wall 52 remote lfrom the casing 4, and is anchored to an endless chainr53. The chain 53 extends round and meshes kwith -two sprockets S4, 55 fast upon axles 54o, 55a, respectively, journalled in the Wall 52; the said axles are in axial alignment with the axles 17, 17a respectively, and the axle 55a yis driven by the motor 27 through the speed reduction gear unit 26, an output shaft 56 located below the main driving axle 17a and the lower duct 4601, a sprocket 57 fast upon the said output shaft, a chain 58, and a sprocket '59 .fast upon the shaft 55a. The output shaft 56 is `driven at a speed such that the manifold is driven at the same speed as the conveyor chains 15, 15a so that each T-shaped union and exible inlet pipe 41 are always in alignment 'with the corresponding mould y1 and hollow arm 2.

To enable Water :to -be fed into the manifold, a spring loaded reel 6) of known construction and having a hollow hub, is journalled within the casing 48 between the upper and lower spans lan-d the oposite ends of the manifold. One end of a iiexible pipe 61 wound around the reel, is connected into the manifold through a universal coupling land the opposite end of the said pipe y61 is connected 5 into the reel hub into which a. water supply pipe 62 is also connected by -a watertight gland permitting rotation of the hub relatively to the supply pipe.

The reel is so spring-loaded that it tends to rotate in the direction which winds the flexible pipe 61 on to the reel hub. As a consequence, the unwound portion of the said pipe between the reel hub and the universal coupling to the manifold is always in tension and taut so that it is maintained in a substantially straight line and in, or substantially in, the `same plane as the manifold, thereby preventing any fouling or damage which might possibly be caused if the said pipe portion was slack. Nevertheless, as the said universal coupling travels round its closed path due Ito the rotation :of the sprockets 54, 55 and the consequent movement imparted to the manifold by the chain 53 and brackets 49 under the guidance of the track 51, the ability of the reel to rotate both against and under spring action, enables the length of the unwound pipe portion to increase and decrease alternately as the coupling is driven away from and towards the reel during each travel cycle along the said closed path. Consequently, water supplied to the pipe 62 from a main or a tank, as the case may be, ows continuously to and through the hub of the reel, fthe partially wound pipe 61, the manifold 42, outlet pipes 41, mould jackets 40, discharge pipes 43, and the exhaust ports in the hollow arms 2 so that the moulds and the molten metal contained therein are cooled; as the walter ows through the said exhaust ports, it is directed by the flanges 44 into one or other of the ducts 46, 46a from where it flows through the pipes 47, 47a to the drain or is pumped back to the tank.

Since the area bounded by the manifold must be clear of any obstruction which could be fouled by or obstruct the movement of the unwound portion of the flexible pipe 61, the axles 17, 17a of the chain conveyor must not project through the front wall tof the casing 4; therefore, in the modified machine shown in yFIGURES 4 and 5, the bearing blocks 18a and 31a are located between their respective sprockets 16, 16a land are mounted upon platforms lor anologous expedients carried by beams extending vbetween and parallel to the conveyor claims 15, a and secured respectively to, for example, the corresponding adjacent pair of cantilever, track-carrying beams 12, 12a.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing rthat, whilst the motor 27 is running, the conveyor chains 15, 15a will propel the hollow arms 2 yand moulds 1 continuously along the closed path defined by the endless slot 3 and the channel-section tracks 7, 7a land 8, 8a. Molten metal is poured successively into each mould as the latter commences rto travel along the upper spans of the conveyor chains and slot, the mould and its metal contents being cooled and solidified by water sprayed from the pipe 35 (FIGURES 1-3) or owing through the mould jacket 40 (FIGURES 4 and 5) and the resulting ingot being discharged from the mould as the latter is travelling from the upper to the lower spans :of the said chains and slot; consequently, Whilst the motor is running and metal is being poured, ingots are being produced and discharged intermittently. Moreover, since all the moving parts of the machine (with the exception of the moulds and mouldcarrying ends of the hollow arms) are contained within and are protected by the casing 4, should any molten metal spill for splash from the moulds, it is prevented from falling on to and solidifying on any of the said protected parts and putting the machine out of commission.

What I claim is:

1. A casting machine comprising an endless conveyor arranged with one run disposed above the other and including an endless trackway and endless `drive means co- `extensive with said trackway, a plurality of arms extending transversely of said trackway, roller means journaled on each of said arms and respectively mounted on said trackway, said trackway including concentric runways between which said roller means are trapped to support said arms cantilever fashion, means connecting said endless idrive means with said arms for advancing the latter around said trackway `on their roller means; a casing enclosing said conveyor and having in one side wall an endless slot coextensive and in registry with said trackway, said arms extending laterally of said trackway through said slot and beyond said casing; and a mold carried by `each of said arms exteriorly of said casing, whereby said conveyor is protected -fr-om splashing or other misdirection of molten casting metal as it is poured into the molds.

2. A casting machine according to claim 1 wherein said Iconveyor is elongate and said molds are open at the top and are xed on said arms to be in an upright position as they travel along the uper span of their path of movement, one end portion of the upper run of said conveyor being smbstantially horizontal to enable pouring molten metal into said molds and enabling the metal to set and the other end portion of the upper run of said conveyor being inclined upwardly to enable the cast metal to solidify and elevate said molds so that the castings may vbe [dumped from the molds when they travel around the end of their path and are invented as they pass into the return nun of their path.

3. A casting machine according to claim l wherein said conveyor is elongate, and said machine further comprises a iiexible endless manifold for transmitting cooling liquid, means movably supporting said manifold to he coextensive with fthe path lof said mold, liquid cooling jackets respectively surrounding said molds, a conduit connecting each mold jacket to said manifold for communication therebetween, and means for driving said manifold in timed relation to the speed o-f said conveyor so that the manifold and conduits to the molds travel uniformly with said molds.

4. A casting machine according to claim 3 including a source Iof liquid supply connected to said manifold and comprising a flexible pipe wound around a spring-loaded reel, one end `of said pipe being connected to the manilfold and the .other end being connected into the reel hub, and through a supply pipe which is connected into the said hub by a liquid-tight gland.

5. A casting machine according to claim 4 wherein the reel is ldisposed within the area bounded lby and substantially in the plane of the manifold.

6. A casting machine according to claim 5 comprising cooling liquid discharge pipes respectively connected to each mold jacket and running through the respective mold supporting arms to outlet ports interiorly of said casing, and discharge troughs underlying the runs of said arms in alignment with the path of said ports.

7. A casting machine according to claim 6 wherein the manifold is attached to an endless chain by brackets which are spaced along the length of the manifold and are provided with rollers engaging an endless channelsection track that is coextensive with said conveyor, said chain meshing with sprockets which are xed axles in respective axial alignment with the conveyor axles and of which at least one is adapted rto lbe driven hy the conveyor driving means at a speed which drives the manifold at the same speed as the conveyor.

8. A casting machine according to claim 7 wherein said manifold is disposed opposite the path of said molds Ifrom said casing, and a second casing enclosing said manifold, supply reel and supporting chain to shield them from splashing or misdirected molten metal, said second casing having an endless slot in the wall facing said molds and coextensive with the path thereof and through which said conduits extend and along which they travel.

9. A casting maching comprising an elongate base yframe, an upright wall yframe mounted on said base frame and extending along one longer side thereof, a

top Aframesupported by said wall frame in cantilever fashion and overlying said base frame, and beams supponted `at one end byv said wall frame bet-Ween said base and top frames and extending cantilever ,fashion horizontally fin overlying relation to said base yframe, an elongate endless conveyor supported by said beams and including apair of uniformly spaced coextensive endless tracks the :upper Iruns of which are mounted on top of said beams and the lower runs of which are mounted on the Ibottoms of said beams, a plurality of 10 arms extending transversely of said tracks, a pair of rollers journaled on each of said arms and respectively mounted on said tracks, endless drive means .coextensive with said tracks and connected with said arms for advancing the latter around said tracks on their rollers; a casing enclosing said conveyor and having in one side wall an endless slot coextensive and in registry with said tracks, fthe portion of said side Iwall surrounding said slot bein-g supported by said base and top `frames and the portion bounded by said slot being supported by the free ends of said lbeams, said arms extending laterally of said tracks through said slot and beyond said casing; said tracks each including concentric krunways between which said rollers are trapped ito support said arms in cantilever fashion; 'and a mold carried by each of said arms exteriorly of said casing, whereby said conveyor is protected from splashing or other -misdirection of molten casting metal as it is poured into Vthe molds.

References Cited inthe tile of this patent UNITED 'STATES PATENTS 

1. A CASTING MACHINE COMPRISING AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR ARRANGED WITH ONE RUN DISPOSED ABOVE THE OTHER AND INCLUDING AN ENDLESS TRACKWAY AND ENDLESS DRIVE MEANS COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID TRACKWAY, A PLURALITY OF ARMS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID TRACKWAY, ROLLER MEANS JOURNALED ON EACH OF SAID ARMS AND RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID TRACKWAY, SAID TRACKWAY INCLUDING CONCENTRIC RUNWAYS BETWEEN WHICH SAID ROLLER MEANS ARE TRAPPED TO SUPPORT SAID ARMS CANTILEVER FASHION, MEANS CONNECTING SAID ENDLESS DRIVE MEANS WITH SAID ARMS FOR ADVANCING THE LATTER AROUND SAID TRACKWAY ON THEIR ROLLER MEANS; A CASING ENCLOSING SAID CONVEYOR AND HAVING IN ONE SIDE WALL AN ENDLESS SLOT COEXTENSIVE AND IN REGISTRY WITH SAID TRACKWAY, SAID ARMS EXTENDING LATERALLY OF SAID TRACKWAY THROUGH SAID SLOT AND BEYOND SAID CASING; AND A MOLD CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID ARMS EXTERIORLY OF SAID CASING, WHEREBY SAID CONVEYOR IS PROTECTED FROM SPLASHING OR OTHER MISDIRECTION OF MOLTEN CASTING METAL AS IT IS POURED INTO THE MOLDS. 